Partnership to boost the agriculture, fisheries in BonPen

Padre Burgos, Quezon – Over 50 representatives from 15 organizations in the municipalities of Padre Burgos, Agdangan, and Unisan convened on June 10, 2025, for a stakeholders’ meeting aimed at strengthening the value chains of coconut, rice, vegetables, and fisheries in the Bondoc Peninsula (BonPen). The initiative also sought to align agricultural development efforts with the legislative agenda of local government units. 

Organized by the Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF), the event gathered municipal agriculturists from the three towns, as well as representatives from the Landbank, the Philippine Coconut Authority, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), the Quezon Federation and Union of Cooperatives, and nine local cooperatives and associations. 

During the meeting, local government agencies and municipal agriculturists presented ongoing programs in agriculture and aquaculture, highlighting funding windows and support for scaling operations, improving technology and facilities, enhancing post-harvest processes, and boosting market access for farmers and fisherfolk.

“This initiative is part of our collective vision to improve the lives of farmers and fisherfolk in Quezon”, PEF Deputy Executive Director Cauchie Garcia said. “We also hope to gather best practices and share them across communities, and eventually in other parts of the country.” 

Through ongoing consultations and collaborations, the collective goal is to improve the lives of 12,000 farmers and fisherfolk over the next five years.  

People’s coalitions to strengthen grassroots coordination

One of the meeting’s key outcomes was the proposal to form local councils of people’s organizations and cooperatives in Padre Burgos, Agdangan, and Unisan. These councils will serve as platforms for resource mobilization and active engagement in local policy-making and development planning. 

Local government representatives expressed their full support for the initiative, citing its alignment with the Memorandum Circular (MC) 2021-054 of the Department of Interior and Local Government, which encourages LGUs to institutionalize Civil Society Organization (CSO) Desks and establish People’s Councils to strengthen participatory governance.